White Lotus creator Mike White explains his “supersized” plans for season three

The White Lotus
(Image credit: © 2022 Home Box Office, Inc.)

The White Lotus has been a cult-classic since it first burst onto our screens in 2021, dominating award season and propelling Jennifer Coolidge (and the whole ensemble) to super stardom. 

The first two seasons saw a host of glamorous (and doomed) guests descend on the White Lotus hotel, with the first instalment set in Maui, Hawaii, and the second in Sicily. 

The most talked-about instalment however is the upcoming third season, which is reported to be set in Thailand, and according to The White Lotus creator Mike White, it is "going to be supersized.”

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, White confirmed that he was "seriously finishing scripts", adding that the third season is "going to be longer, bigger [and] crazier."

“I don’t know what people will think, but I am super excited, so at least for my own barometer, that’s a good thing," he continued. "I’m super excited about the content of the season.”

The White Lotus season 2

(Image credit: © 2021 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO®)

The highly-anticipated third season was originally tipped for release in 2024, but has faced major delays due to the ongoing strike action.

The Hollywood strikes have seen the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) take strike action together for the first time in over 60 years, calling for better pay and working conditions.

And with the continuation of picketing, the production and therefore release date of The White Lotus season three will undoubtedly be delayed further.

Mike White explained that he was "still waiting to be able to cast" for the upcoming season, via Entertainment Weekly, adding: “If the SAG strike isn’t resolved soon, then yeah, we’d have to push again because the show has a new cast every season, so there’s lots of parts to cast. I’m more than eager to get going.”

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.